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How Playing Chess Can Make You Wiser In Life
by JC Campbell
Chess is a fascinating, complex game that appeals to the
intellect, a pursuit both entertaining and enlightening for
people of all ages. Far from being a simple game that provides a
period of amusement or competition, chess can be a game capable
of developing your thinking faculties, a game of strategy and
planning you can apply to life as you endeavor to make wise
decisions. Because chess is a game involving strategy, thinking
ahead and viewing the situation from your opponent's point of
view, it is a fitting example of one that can be applied to our
desire to live wisely. Like chess, life is full of decisions
that often require clear thinking and sober consideration before
making a move.
Yes, the comparison of the game of chess to the game of life
is a very apt one.
When a game of chess begins, both players are on an equal
footing but even at this early stage, the first move is
important. Those who play chess seriously will know that their
opening gambit will affect the pattern of the game and for this
reason, will usually refrain from using an opening that is
overly adventurous and where the progression of the game will be
unpredictable. The same is true of life. Decisions we make in
our youth can have a marked effect in later life, setting the
course our life will take in areas like career, relationships
and health. Making wise decisions when we are young can be
likened to the opening gambit in chess, a move that can have an
irreversible effect on our life pattern. Those early decisions
can seem to be wise at the time and prove to be the opposite as
the years pass by. Whatever happens, we learn to adjust by
making new decisions and taking ourselves in another direction
as chess players often have to do during a match.
It is no accident that good chess players, even with years of
experience, will think long and hard before making a move. The
reason why chess players spend so much time deliberating is
because they are considering all the possible options available
to them and ensuring their next move will not leave them in
trouble. This is one of the true fundamentals of good chess
play, the ability to evaluate their current position and to look
ahead with a view to determining where their next few moves will
lead. How many of us have often wished we had taken more time
before making important decisions in life? Making hurried
decisions in life is very often like the hasty move on a
chessboard, once the move is made, it is too late to reverse and
the consequences have to be accepted. Taking time to think
carefully before making important decisions in life is a lesson
we can learn from the ancient game of chess!
Even when you do make a move in a chess game that has been
given thorough consideration, you have no control over the next
move made by your opponent and that is why chess is also a game
that requires adjustment in our thinking and strategy. The same
can be true when we make what we consider wise decisions in
life. We never know how others will respond and how this might
affect the course, we have taken. Family, friends or colleagues
can all influence our lives in an unexpected fashion and as in
chess; this requires adjustment and perhaps the need to rethink
our strategy. Although good chess players can look ahead and try
to determine how their opponent will counter their moves, they
cannot be sure that the game will run on the course they
envision. Appreciating this in life will help us to follow the
course of wisdom as we make necessary adjustments to the
direction we have chosen, recognizing that nothing is certain,
even with the best of planning. Have a strategy, but like the
chess player who is faced with a surprise move on the part of
his opponent, have the wisdom to adapt and be flexible in your
situation.
Another element found in the game of chess that relates to
our ability to live wisely is the need to be patient as we
strive to reach our goals and realize our aspirations. The goal
of a chess player may be to capture his opponent's pieces and
eventually reach the point of "checkmate", but he realizes that
this will not happen quickly. In the meantime, he enjoys the
game; it brings him pleasure to be in a contest with a
like-minded chess enthusiast. This can be an appropriate
parallel as we recognize that we often have to be patient when
it comes to our dreams and ambitions. While we work toward our
goals, remember to enjoy life at the same time. If a chess
player becomes so intent and possibly anxious about winning the
game, he may fail to enjoy the experience. We too could become
so blinkered and eager to reach our goals that we forget to
enjoy the life we have. For example, many career-minded people
have completely lost sight of their friends and family in their
pursuit of position or riches. By the time they reach their
desired goals, they have lost the opportunity to spend time with
their children, who have perhaps now grown into adulthood. By
all means keep the end goal in sight, but like the good chess
player who plays for pleasure, enjoy what life has to offer as
you aspire to fulfill your ambition.
Viewing the game of chess as an instrument we can employ to
live our lives wisely, goes beyond the objective of trying to
win against a rival. Understanding the strategy involved, taking
into account the variables that exist with an assortment of
pieces that move in different ways and have varying strengths.
This comprehension of the game can be a positive influence on
those who have authority over others in numerous walks of life.
Whether you are a manager in the workplace, a teacher caring for
a group of children or caring for people in a pastoral capacity,
it is the course of wisdom to use those people according to
their strengths. This is a fundamental concept in the game of
chess, the ability to utilize a variety of pieces for the
greater good of the group. Though the pawns may be considered
weaker than the queen, possibly even expendable, in reality, the
pawn can be used to leave the opposition king in checkmate.
Making the best use of all sixteen pieces you have at your
disposal achieves the overall purpose in winning the game. So it
is with the person who has the task of managing a variety of
people with different strengths and weaknesses. Having the
wisdom to employ each person for the good of the cause results
in achievement.
Not to be overlooked within the game of chess are the
qualities it encourages in those who play. Although it is
ironically a game that has its origins in war, it does
nevertheless promote qualities that can be put to good use in
everyday life. Because chess is a game played in a peaceful,
calm environment and is cerebral in nature, it encourages
patience, discretion, decisiveness, caution and common sense. As
people rush through life, often making snap decisions on
important matters, thinking with the mind of a chess player can
encourage us to take a more measured and calculated approach to
major and minor decisions. Chess definitely encourages a
deliberate thought pattern that can assist us in making wise
choices and living life in a way that is never reckless and
damaging. Wisdom is a quality that is inextricably linked with
the game of chess, a game perceived as one played by people with
a higher level of intelligence. The thinking man's game. It is
fitting to apply the fundamentals of chess to living our lives
wisely, as it prompts clear thinking and mental awareness,
things that should be evident in life itself.
Ultimately, chess is more than just a game that is played for
recreation, pleasure or competition. Unlike any other board game
in existence, chess is extremely complex with variables you will
not find in any other pastime. The multiplicity of possible
moves in one chess match is staggering and means that no two
games are alike. Apart from the fact that it is a game designed
to keep you mentally alert, chess is also effective in providing
parallels that can translate into real life and contribute to
living wisely. The unpredictability in a chess game reflects our
experiences in life, changeable in nature and requiring us to
make adjustment constantly. What may appear to be a good move
can easily turn out to be disastrous and vice versa. Accepting
that life is not always smooth will help us to act wisely when
important decisions are called for. Approaching life in the same
fashion as the chess grandmaster will encourage us to take a
focused and purposeful outlook. We will be less likely to make
reckless and irresponsible decisions if we adopt the mindset of
the chess player who thinks clearly and considers his steps
before making a move. Whether we are playing a game of chess or
the game of life, making wise decisions is vital as they can
have a lasting and irreversible impact.
Your move!
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